Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-12-22
A GOLD-HUNTER.
what tsfo Real Ltfe Of n western
frOspecIOr IS Like.

INC NcV IeF6 U0gu from llclcnn,
Montana. that the life of gold-hunter
Is jolly ONO. that when he gets out of
FUNDS lac simply retiros to tho nearest
mountains. finds gold or silver mine.
returns in fow days. sells the proper
ty for large sum and elbows in" his
eas ly acquired wealth against Il faro
bank or loses it in trying TO master the
in,rcacios of draw-poker. After this he
sallies forth rs before and refills his
depleted parse. The fact, however. is
that tho life of prospector is not easy
or pleasant but rather OF the inccssant
toll. innumborable hardships and disap-
pointments. Nor is he more given to
gambling than lhoso who arc engaged
IN other callngs. In the spring-time.
often with no other companion than u
stubborn pack-mule, VIII CHI ho leads
along by 81 halter, the gold-hunter turns
his back On such vilization us border
towns can boast of and hides himself
among the awful solitudes of the noun
tains, where he rema'n ms, except when
he repairs To the nearest settlements TO
procure fresh supplies. pursuing his
lonely ami dangerous tasks until the
storms of winter compel him to seek
shelter again among The hab,tations of
his fcllow-men. Ii perchance no
should discover II promising lead dur
ing his summer oxplorat oms. then ho
builds himself snug cabin of logs. or
If there is no timber in the neghbor-
hood. scoops out Il hole in the side OF
mountain. aud, to use his own
expression, ''camps on the prospect"
ii dict consists of fat beacon, bread
of his own manufacture. and coffee oc-
casiOnally var ed by roasted grouse. Il
slice of venison. or other game supplied
by his own ,rusty r.ilc. Aud he makes
his nightly bed on the brown lap of
Mother Earth.
AS the gol,-hunter ascends the slope
OF the mountain which he has selected
as The scene of his explorations he notes
every change in the structure or the
composition of the rocks. When fav-
Orable locality is reached. a local ty
where the geoog cal formation ind
Gates tho procence of gold. he stops ut
the first spring of water. unpacks his
outfit. pitches his tent, if he has one.
which ia rarely the case, p'ckets his
tired mule, gathers few loose rocks
and places them i'm the form of u horse
shoe on the ground TO serve rs II stove.
and then. with bent head ami watchful
eyes. carefully scans every gucl AMI
mountain side. prizes into every nook
and cranay in quest of those Signs
VIII CHI Mother Nature always posts
near tho spot where she has hidden
her precious treasures.
Far up Oh the rugged flanks of that
storm-rivcn mountain the gold-huntcr
breaks of pece OF rock from the
ledge and 10! it is tlecked with bright,
yellow specks, not unlike that metal
which all mankind is SO glad to possess.
His heart beats fast us hc examines the
specimen. He vets the bright specks
with his tongue and picks ut them ncrv-
ously with his pcnknfc. They crumbc
at the touch of that instrument, and
then he throws the rock down with an
angry gesture, and muttcrs Il sappoint-
eddy: Pilgrim gold he gosh"
Now ho is down yonder in the gulch,
which seems rs though it might bo the
repository of Il vast amount of the yol-
low metal. digging II hole in the gravel.
The trend OF the rift is north and south.
No, nil nI DIFF -, 4 H.,
manner. cspoc ally in II ravine in this
range of mountains, without sprinkling
it with gold. 1t was in just such spots
rs that she loved TO sccrete her most
beautiful metal whenever it was torn
from its native home in tho rock by the
slowly advancing glacier or floods
OF bygonc ages. A little stream of
water goes singing down the gulch. and
the tall bunch of grass bends graceful
w over it as il charmed by the song.
Hard by u chipmunk sits rs motionless
ms II stone Mt tho entrance to its little
hovcl and watches the intruder on its
domain with the greatest curiosity. On
the opposite flank of the mountain a
its kind. while high above the eagle is
wingug as way, speck across the
blue.
The shaft is down three feet and now
the miner fills his pan with gravel
from the bottom of the pit and washes
IL in tho stream. Yes. there is gold in
the drift. for at the bottom Of the pan
slistcn three color6. They are mere
specks, il 10 true. but they are the gen
uine article. and no mistake. This small
find encourages the tolcr to continue
lis search. for he knows the heavier
PARTICLES of gold. no matter what may
have been their position In the drift
when it was first deposited, will moi
rest easy until they have reached the
bed rock and found II crcvice for their